According to an Associated Press compilation of major local and national organizations, close to $1 billion in donations have been collected by the groups which are helping to rebuild along the Texas Gulf Coast following Hurricane Harvey. Most of that cash is already being put to work following the storm, which hit Southeast Texas cities hard in August, dumping record rain levels, and resulting in high wind damage.
The majority of the $928 million raised by major groups was collected by the Red Cross, which announced in December that it raised $493 million for Hurricane Harvey relief. Following that, the Greater Houston Community Foundation raised over $108 million. The Rebuild Texas Fund (which is administered by the family foundation of Michael Dell), raised over $89 million. And, Samaritan’s Purse and United Way have raised $86 million over $54 million, respectively. J.J. Watt’s online campaign raised $37 million, while the Salvation Army, as well as a fund that was created by the Qatar government, have each pledged $30 million.
At least 40 percent of the total funds raised has been distributed or spent to date, and many major groups have identified that they will announce new recipients for aid in both December and January. Further details on the Associated Press tally and distribution can be found on the MySanAntonio.com link provided here. It appears that most relief funds are working to monitor urgency while also considering the time-sensitive nature of caring for those affected by the donors in question.
